Any else old enough to have been subjected to a steady diet of Billy Joel songs on the radio will recognize the lyric in the title of this post. Forty six years after Elaine's opened, Cheryl and I finally went, guests of George (last mentioned in this post, though we also saw him a couple of weeks ago at a brunch at his place in Brooklyn). My advice: if you want to go to say you went, have a drink at the bar and then head somewhere else for dinner. You can get better Italian food for half the price at Maggiano's1. I was hungry though, so I finished off a plate of penne carbonara, which is sitting like a brick in my belly as I write this. One nice touch: after we settled up, the manager offered a digestif on the house, so I had a Macallan for the road.
1Maybe Elaine's is still good for spotting celebrities, if that floats your boat, but we didn't recognize anyone famous there tonight. We did once see Danny Aiello at the Hackensack Maggiano's once though. Cheryl thought it was odd that an Italian who was in Moonstruck would eat at an outpost of a chain Italian restaurant where neither the chef nor the manager are Italian (judging by their last names). Then again, neither Moonstruck's director nor its great screenwriter -- nor its two Oscar-winning actresses -- were Italians either.
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4 comments:
actually, the deal at maggianos is even better, right ?!?!!
if cheryl isnt completely satisfied and doesnt have a "wonderful time out"- wel, then you eat for free !!!
i mean, if you arent brought olive oil with your bread, or your glasses are ''slammed'' down, or, heavens no, you dont get a fresh salad plate- well, we should probably fire or censure the offending bartender and give you at least $50 in gift certificates ...
a much better deal than elaines !
I'm the one who e-mailed the Maggiano's manager, not Cheryl. That was my idea. That's exactly the first time I've complained about a meal at that restaurant, and we've been going there at least a couple times per month since it opened a couple of years ago.
Incidentally, according to a follow-up e-mail I received from the manager yesterday, the bartenders have been "coached", to use the manager's exact term. Good for them: if they are receptive to the coaching, not only will future customers have a better experience but the bartenders will make more money, and so will the restaurant. Wins all around.
Let me guess, Anon -- you're single.
George's niche business is probably worth a post as well. I'll see if he minds if I write one on it.
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